The Dark
by xX hArMoNy
Summary: The Dark is finally here... all because Lief made one stupid mistake...
1. Chapter 1

The Dark

_Okay this is my first story, so it may be a bit bad_.

Lief was sleeping peacefully in his bedchamber. Jasmine crept in quietly and slipped into bed beside him. Lief's eyes snapped open as she bumped against him.

'Jasmine!' he snapped sharply. 'This is the _third_ time I have caught you coming into here at night! I didn't say anything before, but now, _really_! Where have you been? I have been sick with worry about you!'

'I was… in the Forests,' said Jasmine, sticking out her bottom lip. 'You know I can look after myself.'

'Don't go out again,' Lief said sharply. He turned over on his side. Jasmine sighed. Lief was getting snappy these days.

'Where were you, Mother?' asked Endon and Jarred at the same time to Jasmine. 'We were waiting for you to teach us how to swing on vines!'

'I was somewhere else,' said Jasmine, smiling down at her sons, the twins. She hesitated for a moment before continuing. 'And I have to go now. I am… going with Anna somewhere.'

'You don't like Anna and her dresses,' said Jarred at once. 'Why would you go somewhere with her and not _us_?' Jasmine smiled at the twins and just laughed.

'Don't worry, I'll be back soon,' she promised.

'Not too late,' reminded Lief. Jasmine was about to turn around and walk out, when Lief grabbed her arm.

'Not too fast,' he added. 'Barda is coming with you too, on my orders.' Jasmine scowled.

'I can look after myself, remember? I lived in the Forests by myself when I was young, didn't I?' she said stiffly.

'I know, I know,' sighed Lief. Jasmine could be difficult. 'But at least take this.' He unclasped the Belt of Deltora and clasped it around Jasmine's slim waist. 'And take this too.' He slipped the rough leather bag containing the Pirran Pipe off his neck.

'So many things,' exclaimed Jasmine, but she didn't touch them. 'I don't need these good luck charms.'

'They're not good luck charms!' burst out Lief. 'Don't you remember the journeys we went through, the suffer?'

'Of course,' said Jasmine icily. 'But no thanks, I don't think I will be needing these.' She took off the Belt and pushed the Pipe back to Lief. 'I'm off.' She leapt lightly out of the Dining Hall before he could stop her.

'Kree! Filli!' cried Jasmine shrilly. Kree flew out of one of the Palace trees and Filli leapt into Jasmine's outstretched hand. She cooed over them, then spoke.

'Lief is being so hard on me. Why is he _suddenly_ so worried?' she said curiously. She reached the Forests of Silence. She leapt lightly onto the bottom branch of a tree and climbed up quickly, to the tallest branch. She looked all around, her sharp observant eyes noting everything. Suddenly, she saw an Ak-Baba in the sky. She quickly ducked under the branches.

'Swish swish,' went the tree. Jasmine looked up into the sky for the shadow of the Ak-Baba. It passed over, squawked twice, then flew away. Jasmine waited for a moment before standing up and looking around.

'Oh, no!' she remembered. 'I promised Riealle!' She quickly slid down to the bottom and made her way through the Forest floor.

'Phee!' she whistled. A dark, tanned girl with the similar untidy black hair and deep brown eyes looked down from a tall tree.

'Phee!' she whistled back. She leapt down lightly exactly like Jasmine.

'Jasmine!' she cried, as she landed. 'I've been waiting for you _all morning_! Where were you?'

'I was only gone for 8 hours, Riealle,' smiled Jasmine. 'And watch out. I saw Ak-Baba flying overhead. You'd better be careful.' She patted Riealle on the back, but Riealle shook off her hand.

'I can look after myself,' she said, having that expression that Jasmine wore before. Suddenly, there came a dangerous squawk from above. Riealle and Jasmine looked up.

'Ak-Baba!' screamed Riealle, and that was the last they both remembered…

_Okay please review! And yes I know it is bad it is my first story ever!_


	2. Chapter 2

Jasmine woke with a start. She sat up. A cold sweat was breaking out over her. She shook her head and looked around. Everything was dark… black… her mind went back to years ago, when she was a young child…

_Flash back_

Jasmine was sitting on Jarred's knee, Anna weaving beside them. All of them looked happy.

'It's time for bed,' said Jarred to Jasmine.

'Bed time story first! Bed time story first!' cried Jasmine. Jarred smiled at Jasmine's eager face.

'Alright,' said Jarred. 'Once, there was a thing called The Dark. It was the Old Times.' Jasmine stiffened in excitement. She loved her father's recounts of the Old Times.

'Nobody could survive The Dark,' continued her father. 'Once they were there, nothing could save them. Once they were there, there was no way out. You had to meet your fate.'

'One day, a young girl went out to find The Dark, and to kill it because it had killed so many of her own cows and her family. She went out, fell into a pit that was The Dark, and killed The Dark forever. This is how she killed it. She chanted this rhyme:

"_The Dark, The Dark,_

_Bad it is but in here cold will not be in my heart._

_Many people don't survive this battle,_

_But I will live after this, for my own cattle._

_I chant, I sing,_

_I fly on the wind._

_But only will that end,_

_If in my life, I reach the dreaded bend._

_In here I cannot take the pressure,_

_But I want to breathe in the outside pleasure._

_Once more I will come out,_

_No more will I pout._

_I will be happy to live,_

_My joy will be to give."_

And The Dark was… and is… no more.' Jasmine looked at her father in awe. Never could she imagine he had heard this. She flung herself into his arms and thought about the rhyme, how emotional it was. To her surprise, fiery Jasmine found tears welling in her eyes. She blinked them away.

'Good night, my lamb,' Jarred had said, kissing her on her forehead.

'Good night, my little Jasmine,' cooed her mother.

_Flash back to present_

Someone groaned besides Jasmine. Jasmine instinctively drew out her dagger, but she couldn't because she could not see around her. She wasn't used to this darkness in The Dark yet. Since she couldn't see, she poked Riealle's eye.

'Owch!' Riealle cried. Riealle tried to stand up, but missed because she was unsteady and ended up kicking Jasmine in the cheek.

'Oof!' cried Jasmine, falling over, who had just managed to get up.

'Where are we?' grunted Riealle.

'The Dark,' murmured Jasmine softly.

'_The Dark?_' cried Riealle in alarm.

'And no, don't try to walk about or stretch your arms, you might end up poking me, or kicking me again,' said Jasmine hastily.

'This is a bad dream,' said Riealle uncertainly. She gave a small cough.

'Are you okay?' Jasmine was by her side at once. She felt her way to Riealle. She treated this older girl as her sister.

'Of course I am, Jasmine,' said Riealle.

'So,' Jasmine said, helping Riealle down then seating herself down, before feeling underneath her. They couldn't see anything so they had to do everything by hand, carefully. 'What happened to the grand Palace in Tora, and your beautiful home, Riealle of Tora?'

'It's no more,' said Riealle miserably. Jasmine patted her on the shoulder. 'I was the only one who escaped. Of course, my brother and sisters didn't survive. You know them. Quint, Maris, Petrine and Ginny (_Note to readers: Some of these characters are from a Deltora roleplay site my friend owns_). The gardens, Palace, house, pond, absolutely _everything_ in Tora was burned down. By who, I do not know. But Quint has been interested in fire recently… he might have been the one… but I can't judge my own brother like this!' Riealle was panic-stricken.

'Calm down,' says Jasmine, remembering Riealle's tall, beautiful mother, her proud, loyal father and her younger siblings. 'None of your family could have done this. They are too kind.'

'You didn't know Quint,' said Riealle, turning her face towards Jasmine. Her eyes were glowing mysteriously, but Jasmine didn't see this, as it was, of course, The Dark. 'He was terrifying. Evil. What he wanted he got. I was afraid… so afraid… and now it's too late.' Riealle fainted silently onto Jasmine's lap. Jasmine was careful with her.

'Fire Beads!' she suddenly exclaimed in the dark, feeling a small glass jar in her pocket. She pulled it out and jiggled it. She listened carefully. There were very few Fire Beads left from Tom's Shop. She opened the jar, tipped it at what she thought was a fair angle and let the few precious beads fall into her palm. Luckily, she had good aim so she did not miss. She quickly placed the Fire Beads on the ground but they didn't burst up into flame, as they should have.

'No light or flame works here,' she remembered from her father's tale. She sat down slowly and thought, a thing Jasmine had never had to do very often. She tried to untangle Riealle's hair while thinking. Jasmine then shook Riealle gently, and she woke up.

'Jasmine, what is it?' whined Riealle sleepily. 'Have you figured a way out of this… dark place?'

'Well… not exactly,' said Jasmine. 'But you know how you have Healing and Magic powers?'

'Yes,' said Riealle slowly. She was a Sorceress like her mother Jayden. 'But what use is my… oh! _I_ know what you're thinking!' She clicked her fingers, but nothing happened.

'Strange,' Jasmine said. 'A small blue fire should have come up. But nothing. I _know_ light and flame don't work here, but I thought _magical_ light and flame worked here. Now I know better.' They both sat down again and thought and thought for a very long while.

'The Ak-Baba must have dropped us in here… but how?' thought Riealle aloud. 'Jasmine, do you know where the entrance to The Dark is? We know we are _in_ The Dark right now.'

'That's right,' said Jasmine. 'But my father didn't ever mention where the entrance was. He said a small girl…' Her eyes widened in excitement.

'Riealle!' she exclaimed. 'It was here in my brain, all along! The childhood tale Jarred told me! Just let me remember it…' Jasmine thought carefully, and finally repeated the verse.

'_The Dark, The Dark,_

_Bad it is but in here cold will not be in my heart._

_Many people don't survive this battle,_

_But I will live after this, for my own cattle._

_I chant, I sing,_

_I fly on the wind._

_But only will that end,_

_If in my life, I reach the dreaded bend._

_In here I cannot take the pressure,_

_But I want to breathe in the outside pleasure._

_Once more I will come out,_

_No more will I pout._

_I will be…_' She trailed off.

'Oh no,' she groaned. 'I forgot the last two lines! _What_ could it be? I remember it's easy, but I'm having a brain blank!'

'Don't worry,' said Riealle soothingly. 'Have a rest, and I'll try and think.' Jasmine flopped herself in the darkness next to Riealle and slept, while Riealle thought and thought. There came a faraway sound.

'Jasmine!' hissed Riealle. She shook Jasmine softly. Jasmine stirred, and muttered something.

'Shh,' said Riealle. Both girls listened to an interesting conversation.

'Come on, Dok 4!' the metallic voice cried.

'Why do we have to struggle through this Dark, Pen 7?' whined Dok 4. 'We're lost, I'm sure of it!'

'Dok 4, Pen 7, _stop_!' commanded a much stronger voice, more powerful than Pen 7's frail one or Dok 4's whinging one.

'Yes, Jod 3,' said Pen 7 and Dok 4's meek voices.

'Now come on, I smell the humans,' said Jod 3. Riealle and Jasmine stiffened. Riealle grabbed Jasmine's arm.

'Let's sneak away,' said Jasmine decisively, getting up slowly and helping Riealle.

'Let's stay put,' said Riealle equally as firmly, pulling Jasmine back down. 'It's so dark, those Grey Guards won't see us.'

'I guess you're right,' said Jasmine. She lay back down and slept. The Grey Guards rounded the corner, surprisingly, with a lamp.

'I've got her,' chuckled Riealle to them. 'She really believes it's The Dark. Come on.' Riealle lifted Jasmine up strongly and placed her roughly into a scratchy bag and pulled the string tightly.

'Let's go,' said Riealle, lifting the bag onto her back and walking away. Jasmine awoke as Riealle lifted her onto her back. She kicked and screamed.

'Riealle! Help! Grey Guards!' Riealle lifted up the bag to her face level and sneered at Jasmine, 'Look at you now, you little maggot. You're caught.'

'Traitor!' yelled Jasmine as strongly as she could. 'Betrayer! Double crosser! Treasonist! Lief will get you!' Jasmine bit at the scratchy cloth, but only succeeded in filling her mouth with sand.

'How can Lief get me when he doesn't know I even exist?' snarled Riealle, shaking the bag. She held up a sharp dagger with a crystal set in the hilt, and showed this to Jasmine through the material.

'I'm not scared,' said Jasmine strongly and truthfully.

'Oh, this is a magic dagger,' said Riealle, twirling it between two fingers. 'It kills well, and is filled with poison. See that I don't get you!' She stabbed the dagger through the cloth, just missing Jasmine by an inch. 'So you'd better be careful.' She slid the dagger out and said, clearly surprised, 'We're here already. Come on, _lamb_.' She dumped Jasmine onto the cold hard floor and walked away, leaving Jasmine with the three Grey Guards. Jasmine wasn't scared, but she was clearly angry. The Grey Guards made as to pick her up, but Jasmine snarled, just like Riealle, 'If you dare to even _touch_ me, I'll fight you,' said Jasmine. The Guards laughed and picked Jasmine up. Jasmine pulled out her extra dagger from her boot with difficulty and stabbed Dok 4, Pen 7 and Jod 3. They fell to the ground with a slight thud and Jasmine started stabbing crazily at the hole Riealle had made with _her_ dagger. Finally, Jasmine crawled out, weak, and collapsed to the floor.

_Okay I think Chapter One is better…_


	3. Chapter 3

Jasmine awoke with a stiff back, to find herself binded with fine thin cord. She struggled, but gave up after a few minutes. She lay back and thought about how she had helped Riealle through the past month.

Flash back 

Riealle was lying, helpless, in the mud. Jasmine looked on, sneering at the what was then, innocent girl.

'Help,' called Riealle. 'Please. I will repay you well… if you just…' She didn't have to say anything else. Jasmine helped at once. She couldn't bear to see someone like her in pain. Riealle was sinking, deeper, deeper… She slowly pulled out an arm from the mud, clearly in pain. There was a large squelch as her arm came out. She held it up to Jasmine, a beseeching look on her face. Jasmine grabbed her hand and said, 'Just for you.' She shifted all her weight to her legs to keep her steady, then pulled with all her might on Riealle's arm. There was a sickening crack, a squelch, then Riealle came out of the mud.

'Thankyou,' she panted.

'It's okay,' said Jasmine, brushing some sand off herself. 'I'm Jasmine. Your name is…?'

'Riealle,' said Riealle.

'Come up here to a tree that's safe,' said Jasmine, picking up a sharp sound in her ears. Riealle climbed up the tree that Jasmine told her climb up deftly and swiftly.

'You know your stuff,' said Jasmine, surprised. She looked at Riealle's clothes, then gave a small exclamation.

'Oh! You're from Tora, aren't you?' she cried. 'Oh, poor you, would you like to go back?'

'No, no!' begged Riealle. 'I… just… I ran away, okay?'

'That's fine,' said Jasmine. 'But I'm married to Lief, you can't…'

'You're _Queen_!' cried Riealle.

'Yes,' said Jasmine calmly. 'But anyway, as I was saying, you can't come to the Palace with me, because Lief would just send you back to Tora.'

'Of course not,' agreed Riealle, giving a toss of her head and a flick of her similarly tangled black hair.

'You can stay here,' suggested Jasmine. Riealle's eyes widened.

'_Really!_ That would be great! I've never lived here before! It'll be such a change! I can make a new start!' Jasmine left and from then on came for visits with food and drink. The two acted as sisters.

Flask back to present 

Jasmine shook her head and sighed deeply.

'Thinking, are you?' came Riealle's voice from a dark corner. Jasmine remembered that she could read minds. 'Ahh… the good old days… I could've just killed you right away… or even better…' Riealle said no more and turned on her heel.

Jasmine woke up again, this time facing a small polypan.

'Chett!' cried Jasmine, as she recognised him. 'How come _you're_ here? Wait, don't tell me. You've turned to the Shadow Lord too, have you?' She snorted disgustedly. Chett the polypan made a few mad gestures with his hairy arms, then realising that Jasmine didn't understand, he just made the following mark in the sand.

'So you're still with us?' Jasmine inquired. Chett nodded, and wrote in the sand.

'Oh,' said Jasmine. 'So… can you free me?' Chett nodded eagerly, and put a finger to his lips. Jasmine silenced, and Chett set to work unbinding her. At last, his quick fingers undid the tight knots, and him and Jasmine slipped out unnoticed.

Soon, Chett and Jasmine were on the River Broad, Chett rowing strongly. He stopped for a moment and held out his hand.

'Alright, alright,' said Jasmine, grumbling, and gave him the brown gum that polypans like to chew. Chett made a strange cackling noise, then tore apart the small paper bag shoved the whole gum into his mouth and started chewing vigorously. He resumed rowing and soon they had reached Tora, where Jasmine was to depart.

'Thankyou, Chett,' she said, after a slight pause. 'I can never repay you. But take this.' Jasmine handed over a heavy bulging leather bag filled with silver coins with which Chett could buy the gum he loved so much.

'Not so much a returning favour,' she said. 'But it's the least I can do.' Chett chattered away and made a peculiar clicking with his teeth. He flung his hairy arms on Jasmine and hugged her, to her amazement. He let go and quickly rowed away, keeping the precious bag on his lap. Jasmine just smiled and started her journey back home. On her way, she heard a singing voice. She quickly ducked behind a bush, but then laughed and jumped out again. It was just Steven the Pedlar.

'Hello, Steven,' she said, as his bright worn caravan reached her. 'I've just been in the Shadow Lord's clutches. Luckily Chett the polypan rescued me.'

'Hello there, little missy,' said Steven cheerfully. 'But how come Chett was there?'

'Well, he said that the Shadow Lord liked to use polypans,' said Jasmine. For once, a small flicker of doubt about Chett working for the Shadow Lord, even if he was still on her side, came across. She wondered if Chett was lying.

'Don't worry,' said Steven, but he _did_ look slightly worried. 'Would you like a ride home? Thought so. Hop in the back, and you can stay there while I ride along. Remember, singing helps!' He gave a slight wink, and Jasmine understood. His message would be given to Jasmine through singing. Jasmine hopped into the back of the caravan and heard Steven whistling. She settled down on the sacks of grain and tried to go to sleep.

Jasmine awoke with a jolt. She heard Steven's voice outside, singing,

'Here I come to the city of Del,

I can't see anyone dwell.

Here I come to the city of Del,

I can't see anyone dwell.'

(_Okay the rhyme is not very good_)

Jasmine sat up and slowly opened the caravan doors. Steven was just outside the Palace gates. Jasmine hopped out and quickly climbed over the wall, just as Lief came hurrying up.

'Jasmine!' he called sharply. 'Where one _earth_ have you been? You've been gone for _four days_!'

'It's a long story,' smiled Jasmine, and headed inside. There came another warning squawk, before Jasmine and Lief hurried inside to the Dining Hall.

'Ak-Baba outside! Load your arrows!' called Lief to the Palace guards. Jasmine didn't stop him, but something wasn't right. If they killed the Ak-Baba… Jasmine could think no more. The sixteen Palace guards had already shot down the huge bird with sharp talons.

'Well done,' called Lief, and headed inside, his arm around Jasmine. She felt a little safer with one of the Ak-Baba gone. There were only six more to shoot down. Yet… something was wrong. Terribly wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

'Oh, no!' Jasmine cried suddenly. She slapped her forehead with her hand. 'You killed the Ak-Baba, you idiot, Lief! Once you kill one, the rest is doomed to come upon you! And you will be trapped in a dark forever… The Dark!' She groaned and sank down to the ground.

'My dear, I did not know,' said Lief, kissing Jasmine gently.

'It's too late now,' she snapped, and ran out of the open gates. Lief could not follow her. He sighed deeply and headed inside.

'You can't just leave her, alone, in the Forests of Silence!' came an angry exclamation. It was Barda, head of the Palace guards. 'Go after her! You are her husband! Go, young Lief! You can't ignore her forever!' Lief looked Barda straight in the eyes, and knew he could not keep the secret forever.

'_Well_?' said Barda, nudging Lief. 'Are you going, or not? Otherwise I will go by myself!' Barda made to set off, but Lief caught him on the arm.

'I will go,' he said.

'Good,' said Barda firmly. 'Now you go after that young woman, and tell her…' Lief cut in.

'Only with you, old bear,' he said. Barda sighed and said, 'Just for you, dear friend.'

Soon Lief and Barda were packed, for they did not know how long they were going to be away. In Lief's pack were all their essential needs – the last few drops of the Lilies of Life that Jasmine had left in her bedchamber, his own water flask, two big jars of Queen Bee Honey, a few bottles of Queen Bee Cider, the rich drink made of Queen Bee Honey, six flasks of Dreaming Water they had asked the Kin to fill up for them, the Golden Arrow Head they could use to call the Dread Gnomes, Curnih, the special blessing liquid from the Resistance Stronghold in Withickmere, Fire Beads and No Bakes (in case they ran out of loaves) from Tom's Shop, the rough leather bag with the Pirran Pipe around Lief's neck and of course, the almighty famous Belt of Deltora around his waist in a special embroidered belt with leaves on it from Steven the pedlar. In Barda's pack was food; some loaves of fresh bread, a special jar of jam from Sharn, a chunk of butter from Amarantz, a cut off bit of meat wrapped specially and a slice of jam cake for each of them. They picked up their packs and set off. Endon and Jarred, who were playing in one of the Palace trees, spotted their father going out.

'Hey! Father! Where are you going?' whined Endon, jumping out of the tree and running up towards Lief. Jarred tried to pull him back, as he was the more boyish one and wanted to appear strong to his father. Little Anna was with them too, reading under the tree they were playing in.

'Father, please, tell us!' cried Anna, hugging her father.

'Somewhere with Barda,' was all Lief said. He patted each of the children on the head, and Jarred scowled.

'Ooh, going after Jasmine, are you, Daddy?' asked Anna cheekily.

'Now you be off,' said Lief, blushing.

'Daddy loves Mummy, Daddy loves Mummy!' chanted Anna.

'Duh,' said Endon. 'Otherwise we wouldn't be here!' Lief didn't wait and went out of the gate, his three children waving earnestly.

'Troublesome lot,' muttered Barda good-naturedly, walking alongside Lief.

'Ah, here we are,' said Barda, reaching a tumbledown shack.

'Hmm, not so good as before,' pointed out Lief, looking at the holes in the roof and the broken window.

'So? Who cares? At least it's a place to stay in,' said Barda, stretching and looking around for some heather to make some beds.

'We could always stay in a tree,' suggested Lief.

'What?' cried Barda. 'Last time I did that, you remember, I fell off the branch I was sleeping on and broke my back! No, thankyou!' Barda walked off to find some heather, and Lief sighed.

'Alright, here it is,' he said. He opened the door. Part of it crumbled away as he touched it.

'Not in a good condition, are we?' he asked himself. Lief went inside and looked around. The hut was empty as usual, except for the small ledge that ran round the whole thing. His sharp eyes caught some crockery on the shelf.

'Hmm. This wasn't here last time,' he called to Barda came hurrying back.

'What now?' he asked impatiently, for he had found a good spot of heather and didn't want to loose it.

'Did you put this here last time?' asked Lief.

'No,' said Barda. 'Maybe Jasmine came and put it there.'

'But these are… so fancy cups, none that she would have!'

'Who cares, just leave it there.' Barda turned on his heel and walked out back to the spot of heather.

'Here, come and help me with this stuff!' he called.

'Okay,' said Lief. Be there in a moment.' He took his pack with him and placed it beside the patch of heather. Barda lifted some in his arms and Lief did the same. They walked back to the shack and made the heather into the shape of two rough beds.

'Finally,' said Barda, flopping down onto his bed. 'Owch. This floor is way too hard. Do we have any rugs?'

'Yes,' said Lief, unstrapping some from Barda's pack. 'Here you go.' He pushed the velvety rug underneath Barda's bed of heather, then pushed another one, much grander, under his own.

'Why bring the good ones?' Barda groaned. 'That's a waste, you know, Lief.'

'Doesn't matter. I can afford it,' he said, spreading out his bed. He flopped down, too, and started talking to Barda about the happenings.

'You know, Jasmine has been disappearing lately,' he started off.

'Not again, with Riealle,' Barda groaned.

'Who's Riealle?' asked Lief instantly. He sat up.

'Oh, nothing, just a distant cousin of Jasmine,' said Barda.

'Oh, right,' said Lief. 'How do you know that?'

'Have you seen her?'

'No,' said Lief truthfully.


End file.
